News & Discussion: Roads & Traffic

[Düsseldorfer]

I want one here too

if we're lucky there will be one here in 50 years...no wait make it 100 years. If our railways are electrified by 2026 then it will be 100 years after Sydney got its first electrified line. 2026 is only 18 years away, even if they planned to electrify right now, by Adelaide's standards it will be completed by mid-2012...86 years behind the times isn't so bad, i guess

[adam73837]

Adelaide is so far behind the other cities that it's completely frustrating, however having said that it is quite amusing. we claim that we are progressing but we're not. We say that rail electrification is too expensive and that not many people use the train lines. Perhaps if our trains were a little bit more attractive and our stations actually looked like more than concrete slabs with small wooden structures on them, we might be able to promote trains. -let's not forget Norman's FANTASTIC Plan which is extremely well planned and should be considered by the government if sent to them.

[Will409]

I'd rather rebuild the track before doing the stations, I'd rather wait at a shit house station then ride over track that doesn't even meet national rail safety standards! To illustrate my point (I don't know how many times I have posted these photos on Railpage).

[monotonehell]

Obviously the solution is to rip it all up and... wait for it... replace them with OBahn tracks. Concrete tracks don't expand in heat waves!

It's amazing how little money has been spent on fairly standard rail maintenance over the past few decades. Even when British Rail was cash strapped in the 1980s they still ran track maintenance (even though they used underpaid non-union 'scab' teams to do it). But in Adelaide we still have wooden sleepers under the tracks, as people seem to be very fond of saying on this forum; that's ridiculous.

[Edgar]

is there any reasons why we have not upgrade the rolling stock? Is it because we are running on broad gauge lines?

Upgrading to a standard guage would allow both MRT and LRT to run together if I am not mistaken?

And also, why hasn't Adelaide Metro considered using a double-decking fleet for use during peak hour? Obviously would carry twice the current capacity.

[monotonehell]

is there any reasons why we have not upgrade the rolling stock? Is it because we are running on broad gauge lines?

Upgrading to a standard guage would allow both MRT and LRT to run together if I am not mistaken?

And also, why hasn't Adelaide Metro considered using a double-decking fleet for use during peak hour? Obviously would carry twice the current capacity.

Red hens -> 2000 series -> 3000 series - although they're getting old I think the stock's been upgraded more often than the tracks

[Will409]

Overhead clearances on a large portion of the network (especially the tunnels on the Belair line as well as many other places elsewhere) are the main reason why double decking can't be done here. Not only that but you have the extra cost, slow loading/unloading times as well as possible structual stress in the body frames and chassis.

[Omicron]

I'd rather rebuild the track before doing the stations, I'd rather wait at a shit house station then ride over track that doesn't even meet national rail safety standards! To illustrate my point (I don't know how many times I have posted these photos on Railpage).

NONONO THOSE ARE HERITAGE METAL THINGS AND MUST BE PRESERVED FOR EVERYONE SO THAT OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN'S CHILDREN CAN ENJOY THEM TOO AND WE CAN ALL BE ONE OF THE ELEVENTY ZILLION PEOPLE THAT USE IT FOR WALKING DOGS AND SPORTS EXERCISE DANCE TIMES TUT TUT YOU YOUNG PEOPLE ALWAYS WANTING TO KNOCK THINGS OVER

( )

[AtD]

And also, why hasn't Adelaide Metro considered using a double-decking fleet for use during peak hour? Obviously would carry twice the current capacity.

Because the average train is about a third the length of the average platform.

[jimmy_2486]

Yeah Id also like to see the tracks upgraded first, then the electrification, then we should start seeing new fleet.

[Shuz]

Well, any electrification would have to be done in stages - that being said, because I favour a change to standard gauge (or whatever our East Coast friends use) and just have the entire national network under one gauge. The current rollingstock wouldnt be able to run on the new gauges, so again electrification and rollingstock would have to be done in the same go, preferably with the busiest line, through to the least busiest.

[Cruise]

melbourne's suburban system still runs on broad gauge........

[Will409]

Melbourne's suburban system still runs on broad gauge........

Sydney runs on standard gauge and Brisbane runs on narrow gauge.

[Norman]

Melbourne's suburban system still runs on broad gauge........

Sydney runs on standard gauge and Brisbane runs on narrow gauge.

Perth is Narrow as well IIRC.

[monotonehell]

And also, why hasn't Adelaide Metro considered using a double-decking fleet for use during peak hour? Obviously would carry twice the current capacity.

Because the average train is about a third the length of the average platform.

Just a thought. Is car capacity really a problem on the rail system here? I thought the 2000 and 3000s carried more than enough bodies to deal with peak periods. Isn't the real problem here the ability/condition of the tracks to run the trains on? I've not caught trains regularly since 2000 (I used to commute from Salisbury to Adelaide and later from Adelaide to Elizabeth almost every day) are the trains as crowded as the buses these days?